AK hand

[betgo]

$30 MTT, 20 players left.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t1600 (7 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx (http://www.zerodivide.cx/converter)

CO (t33568)
Button (t85054)
SB (t4952)
Hero (t48589)
UTG (t17430)
MP1 (t46990)
MP2 (t15650)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, K/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 raises to t4800</font>, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero ???

Your stack size is pretty awkward here. Since you're OOP, I think pushing may be your best option rather than take a flop and be put to a tough decision if you whiff.

Against opponents who you think this might work on, I might raise to ~15k, call a push, and push any flop if called.

I could also see an argument for calling preflop, but IMHO, readless, pushing &gt; raising &gt; calling &gt; folding.

Edit: That post was kind of all over the place. Summary: Tough spot; I think push is best.

I'd definitely call and see a flop. Pushing with 40K+ to win a 6k pot isnt a good idea in my opinion.

See the flop, then make your decision.

[Exitonly]

yea i don't think i like pushing 50k in here..

it hink both a call and a commiting raise (like 15k, and pushing on the flop/calling push PF) are better. If you push you get called by QQ+,AKo,AKs. If you raise to like 15k, AQs might call you, smaller PP's might (and i'm fine with that, cause they're going to fold on most flops).

And calling, i think you are going to end up check/folding the best hand far too often, so i chagne ym mind, id on't like calling.

I think.. raising &gt; pushing &gt; calling &gt; folding

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd definitely call and see a flop. Pushing with 40K+ to win a 6k pot isnt a good idea in my opinion.

See the flop, then make your decision.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, it's pushing 42K to win an 8.2K pot.

I was a little puzzled what to do here, but I pushed. I actually think that was the right play. I am in the BB and OOP postflop, plus I want to defend my blind. The push might look like AK or maybe AQ, JJ-QQ, but to sort of looks like a resteal blind defense. It's a nice pot if I can win it.

Villain had KK and I went allin for my last chips the next hand and busted out. It's a little disappointing losing out on what looked like a fairly sure several hundred dollars.

The push is definately my style, which is one reason that when I make the final table, I often come in 1st-3rd. I won a couple of tournaments in the last few days, and those are my only final table finishes in that period. I think this kind of play is one reason for that.

I respect yer style, and my style is probably one of the reasons I rarely make it down that far in tournaments..In fact I haven't had a final table finish to date (Im a ring game player, just started playing tournaments seriously in the last month).

Im more about survival, which is why I would advocate a call and a check/fold on the flop, but I can see a raise here working well because you are out of position and you want to end the hand quickly.

But my concern is the only times you're going to get called when you push are the times when hes holding KK or AA and you're pretty much down to a 3 outer or completely dominated. 42K to win 8.2K isnt a risk Im usually going to take when Im well situated in a tournament and can last a long time, I'd look for a better spot.

[ardie]

I think the push and or call to limit your volatility is probably best. In most of the tourneys I've entered AK seems to be my undoing when I push. Out of postion your push does allow you to see all 5 cards. Raising seems to be the poorest choice. Late in a tourney had a sb reraise my pp for half his stack with ak, the flop missed him and he was then pot committed with ace high out of position not a desirable position! Other considerations, was the table tight at that point? Was the player tight at that point? Did you factor those into your decision?